If you've worked a festival changeover, a multi-act theatre run, or a touring rig in the last five years, chances are you've stood behind a DiGiCo Quantum 225. That familiar 17-inch centre touchscreen and open left-panel bracket — just the right size for a laptop, a KLANG:kontroller, or a well-thumbed show file binder — has become one of the most common sights in live sound.

Now DiGiCo has given the console a significant evolution. The Quantum 225 DS (Dual Screen), announced on 31 March 2026, replaces that bracket with a second integrated 17-inch, full-colour, daylight-bright TFT multitouch screen, and scatters 41 mini TFT displays across the worksurface for channel information, metering, bank selection, and macro control.

What a second screen actually changes

For engineers running complex shows, the practical difference is immediate. A second screen means you can keep your channel overview on one display while running snapshots, matrix routing, or effects on the other — without flipping between views mid-show. During festival changeovers, when the clock is ruthless and the next band's engineer is already hovering, that extra screen real estate translates directly into speed and confidence.

"Paying heed to the adage 'give the people what they want,' we're now honouring the many requests we've heard to offer a dual-screen version of our compact Quantum 225 — and we have evolved it for maximum performance," said DiGiCo Managing Director Austin Freshwater.

The 41 mini TFTs are arguably just as important. Each one sits beside its corresponding fader, displaying channel names, colour coding, and metering at a glance. For engineers who inherit a show file minutes before doors open — a reality at every festival — that instant visual feedback removes a layer of guesswork.

The Scottish connection

DiGiCo consoles are already deeply embedded in Scotland's live sound infrastructure. At TRNSMT 2025, the main stage audio provision — delivered by Adlib — ran four DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles across front-of-house and monitor positions, with DiGiCo SD-Racks supporting stage I/O. The Quantum 225, the compact stablemate to the 338, is a fixture in venues and touring rigs across the central belt and beyond. Any hardware upgrade path for the installed base has immediate relevance to Scottish operators.

The upgrade path: protecting existing investment

This is the headline for anyone who already owns a Q225. DiGiCo has confirmed that existing Quantum 225 consoles can be hardware-upgraded to the DS specification — a move that extends the lifespan and capability of desks already in service.

"For our customers who already own a Q225, we're also offering a hardware upgrade solution that will allow them to bring their desks up to the Quantum 225 DS spec, extending the capabilities and ROI of their existing inventories," Freshwater added. "As always, purchasing a DiGiCo once again proves to be a smart investment indeed."

DiGiCo has not yet published pricing or turnaround details for the upgrade, but the commitment itself is significant. Console purchases represent major capital expenditure for venues and rental companies, and a clear upgrade path changes the calculation from "replace" to "evolve."

Pulse: a separate power boost

Alongside the DS hardware, DiGiCo's optional Pulse software package raises the stakes further. Pulse lifts the input channel count from 72 to 96, busses from 36 to 48, and increases Mustard Processing strips from 24 to 36 and Nodal Processors from 32 to 48. It also adds Mix Minus — essential for broadcast and press feeds at events where media distribution matters.

For venues weighing up their next console investment, the combination of DS hardware and Pulse software turns the Quantum 225 from a capable mid-range desk into something that punches well above its weight class. Add the optional T software package for theatre-specific features, and you have a console that covers live music, theatre, broadcast, and corporate work from a single compact worksurface.

The Quantum 225 DS is available now. Full specifications are on the DiGiCo website.